Swivel for gas meters



May 1, 1934. u. G. DENSTEN 1,956,853

SWIVEL FOR GAS METERS Filed March 18, 1932 w? Z/{ysses 63 2 Patented May 1, 1934 SWIVEL FOR GAS IVIETERS Ulysses G. Densten, Narberth, Pa., assignor to Kitson Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of West Virginia Application March 18, 1932, Serial No. 599,662

2 Claims.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide for automatically shutting off the supply of gas to gas meters in the event of fire in the neighborhood of the meters. Another ob ject of the invention is to provide a so-called swivel by which a meter is connected with a gas main supply with simple, reliable and efi'icient means adapted for the accomplishment of the result above indicated.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following description at the end of which the invention will be claimed but, generally stated, the invention may be said to comprise a swivel for gas meters having a straight tubular portion closed at one end and open at the other end, a tubular branch communicating with the straight tubular portion between its ends, a valve seat in the straight tubular portion disposed between its open end and the point of communication to the tubular branch with the straight tubular portion, a valve, a fusible member for normally suspending the valve between the closed end of the straight tubular portion and said point of communication and above the seat and adapted to soften under rise in temperature and release the valve and permit it to seat on said seat.

The invention also comprises the improvements to be presently described and finally claimed.

In the following description reference will be made to the accompanying drawing forming part hereof and in which Figure 1 is a side view of a swivel embodying features of the invention with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a detached side view of the valve, and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the fusible member by which the valve is normally suspended.

Referring to the drawing, 1 is a straight tubular portion closed at the upper end and open at the lower end. 2 is a tubular branch communicating with the straight tubular portion between its ends. There is a valve seat 3 in the straight tubular portion 1, and it is disposed between the open end of the portion 1 and the point 4 of communication of the tubular branch with the tubular straight portion. 5 is a valve adapted to cooperate with the valve seat 3. 6 is a pin of metal or material adapted to fuse or soften upon rise in temperature, and it serves to normally suspend the valve 5 between the closed end of the straight tubular portion 1 and the point 4 of communication between the straight and branch portions 1 and 2 and above the seat 3. Upon rise in temperature the pin softens or fuses and releases the valve 5 and permits it to fall upon the seat 3, thus shutting off the how of gas through the branch 2 and straight portion 1. 7 is a screw plug having an internal cavity 8, and the valve 5 is provided with a stem 9 accommodated by the cavity 8. The fusible pin 6 passes through openings provided in the plug and valve stem. 10 is a threaded thimble which is provided with the valve seat 3 and with a flange 11. the thimble 10 and engaging the flange 11.

The described device is an offset swivel for gas meters, and it is attached to the inlet of a meter, not shown because too well understood to require description or illustration, by means of the nut 12, and the branch 2 being offset in respect to the straight tubular portion 1, can, by a motion of rotation, be brought into line with the intake gas pipe, not shown for the reasons above indicated and then secured to place by tightening up the nut 12. Inasmuch as the thimble 10 is detachable, the seat 3 can be readily formed upon it, and since the plug is also detachable it can be readily assembled with the valve and pin and applied and removed.

In use should the pin be subjected to a rise in temperature, as by a fire in the neighborhood of the meter, it yields or softens and permits the valve 5 to drop onto its seat 3, and thus interrupt the flow of gas to the meter, so that gas may not be fed to the fire. The arrow in the drawing indicates the fluidway and the axes of the straight part of the branch 2 and of the straight portion 1 are substantially parallel.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates that modifications may be made in details of construction and arrangement and mat ers of mere form without departing from the spirit of the invention which is not limited to such matters or otherwise than the prior art and the appended claims may require.

I claim:

1. A swivel for gas meters comprising a tubular portion open at one end and closed at the other end and provided with an ofiset tubular branch, the axes of the straight part of the branch and of the straight tubular portion being substantially parallel, a nut turnably connected with the tubular portion, a valve seat near the open end of the tubular portion, a valve, and a fusible pin for normally suspending the valve above the seat and arranged at the closed end of the tubular portion.

2. A swivel for gas meters comprising a straight tubular portion having a tubular branch communicating with its interior, a flanged thimble arranged in one end of the tubular portion and provided with a valve seat, a nut on the thimble arranged for free rotation in respect to the flange, a plug arranged in the other end of the tubular portion and having a cavity, a valve having a stem arranged in said cavity, and a fusible pin arranged through the plug and valve stem.

ULYSSES G. DENSTEN.

12 is a nut arranged on, 

